Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-11-17
CHAPTER wv

CHAPTER XIV.
RAYMOND returned TO Meridon farm. Hi.
mother did not need to question him; she had
noticed the traces of sorrow and trouble or
his mobile face on his departure; she saw Joy
and hope when he returned
Something pleasant has happened, my
sonF
He smiled, but only said
II can tell you nothing, mother-yet"--
"Wellln
Il am happy and wish you to share my
JOY"
"And her refusal!"
"Was not on her own account. There wa,
an obstacle between US.
"How many mysteries! and tho obstacle
has ceased to exist!'
mo"
"And your marriagep
Soon, l hope 1t depends on certain
things, which ara not at liberty TO tell, but
| hope soon.n
Pray God you have your wish, my dear
boy. l ask no more to render my own hap
piness complete" said this mother, who wa.
SO blind. Afterwards they both remembered
this wish. Her face cleared and she grew
quite cheerful in tho knowledge that hcl
favorite son was to be happy. Not one com
miserating thought did she bestow upon hei
elder son, whose heart lay like lead in hi,
bosom, and who had no idea that Raymond
was his successful rival.
From the day lie saw Suzanne last Ray
mond had but enc desire and ere preoccupa
ton, and that was TO discover tho mystery in
the affair concerning her father.
At Paris, at police headquarters, he found
no difficulty in getting all the facts he de
sired. The Laroque affair was rot forgot
ten, and with the exception Of Henriette ant
Lucien all those who had been especially in
terested in it were still alive, and he thought
lie could easily find them
The days passed in minute reconstruction
and copy of all the testimony, and, though
he could not see his way clear to prove it, he
saw clearly how justice had followed III
Roger Laroque upon preconceiyed theory
Of his guilt given by NJ. Lecroix, and thu:
they had never made any movement toward
the discovery Of the real criminal. He studied
the testimony of Suzanne ard her mother, Of
Roger and Victoria, and noticed that not one
Of them varied Ho did not wonder that al
innocent man was tried and condemned or
such evidence; indeed, 10 wondered more
how he was not sentenced to death.
Civ ny Sttl GpptitCQ IA al
swers. Had Lucien penetrated itl Perhaps
he had. Was it not possible that among the
papers relating TO this affair might be found
some mention Of it, At any rate lie could
look. In a large closet at Meridon farm there
was an immense quantity of paper, books and
briefs, which had belonged TO his father, and
he was quito certain that he should find them
undisturbed, with the accumulated dust OF
all these years upon them
This would have been a painful task, to
open and search all these traces of his bril-
liant fathers ambitious talent, under other
circumstances Now it seemed a pious labor,
and as be worked among them lie thought
with regret Of that honorable, loyal life SO
nobly spent and lost.
Until evening he worked without finding
anything; then he at last came upon the
notes which bore upon the assassination of
Larouette. Little by little he found the pa
pers which made up the file, and finally he
found tho notes and NEST of TIE final speech
which Lucien had given. He read it with a
heart beating high with conflicting emotions,
and with tears standing in his eyes. The
eloquent passages fairly spoke even now, with
the dust OF age upon them. At nearly every
page Raymond found n few words as mar
ginal notes, such as: "What is this mystery
of the money!" "What internal part has this
woman played in Rogers life, that he will
not confeSs!' II see wonlan's hand in this, "
and "Who is this womanp
GMy father was not deceived" said Ray
mond "There was q woman, but who is
she?"
At last the desk in the closet was empty,
and there remained but few papers. This
desk had belonged to Julia, but in removal to
the farm it had been placed in here and oil
the other papers with and upon it. AS there
were still apparently two or three leaves Of
the brief missing, Raymond took hold of
some papers and they seemed caught. With
his penknfe be tried TO loosen them and in so
doing he touched spring somewhere, and q
narrow secret drawer flew open, and in it
was photograph Of handsome, noble look
ing man.
The photograph was clean and in every
other way in good condition, except that
where the heart of the man would be was a
cut clear through the paper, as though done
with some sharp instrument. Idly turning it
in his band, Raymond saw written on the
back, in his mothers delicate but peculiar
handwriting, the following dates:
"The 2Sth of July 1872, at II 80 p. m.
"The 30th of July, 1872.
"The 14th of August, 1872"
What was thisl Why these three dates be-
hind the picture Of this unknown in his
mothers writing, and besides, who was this
man? He felt that he had seen him some
where.
Finally, prey TO a vague uneasiness, Raw
mond placed the photograph in his pocket
and went out Of the house. He walked, he
ran, he threw himself on the ground, but
wherever he went he was haunted by that
face in the picture, and also those dates in
his mothers writing. He looked again and
with a groan OF agony hid the face, then
again he looked, this time as one faces q
forlorn hope, and doubt was no longer pos
sible; this was, without even one sole little
possibility Of doubt, Roger Laroque as he was
before this awful accusation fell upon aim.
To be sure, the hair and beard were dark, tho
face was young and care free, and that awful
disfiguring scar had not destroyed the sym
metry of the left side of bis face; but the
same great dark eyes, high forehead and gen
eral cast of features were there William For
ney of today and Roger Laroque Of old were
one Then why these three dates in his
mothers writingl She must have known
Laroque well, but why had she never men
toned bis namel All the afternoon and until
late he remained in the woods, entering at
night somber and silent.
what is the matter with you, my boyl
Are you illlp
"No, ouly my head aches a little from
fumbling over those dusty papers,
As soon as dinner was over, when he ate
next to nothing, he went ct once to his room
And then he again examined the photograph,
and the more be studied it the more certain
be grew. Doubt was impossible. A sus
picion came into his mind which gave hirs.
mortal chill lie knew that there was wo-
man mixed mysteriously up in that crime; be
searched for traces Of her, and the first one
he found led him straight to his own motheri
This thought kept him awake almost the
whole night, and the first light Of the morn
ing found him up and ready to take the train
for Paris, where he had business to transact
during the day. Before leaving he was alone
a few minutes with his mother, who said:
EDO you fea better today my scRi Are